'Doctor Who' 50th anniversary special sets ratings, Tumblr records

John Hurt (left), Matt Smith and David Tennant are three faces of the Doctor in "The Day of the Doctor," marking 50 years of "Doctor Who."

John Hurt (left), Matt Smith and David Tennant are three faces of the Doctor in "The Day of the Doctor," marking 50 years of "Doctor Who." (BBC Worldwide)

Scott Collins

"Doctor Who" marked its 50th anniversary over the weekend by setting a few ratings records.

"Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor" -- the official semicentennial special of the cult British sci-fi series -- rounded up 3.6 million total Whovians on Saturday, according to Nielsen.

That included 2.4 million viewers for the daytime airing of the much-anticipated special, which was beamed live to 94 countries around the world to avoid spoilers. That was a best-ever rating for BBC America, which carries "Doctor Who" in the U.S.

The rest of the U.S. audience came from a repeat on BBC America during Saturday prime time.

As befitting its status as a cult favorite, "Doctor Who" also burned up social media over the weekend.

There were 14.5 million views of "Doctor Who's" Tumblr on Saturday, more than for any other televised event, including the Super Bowl and the MTV Video Music Awards.